Scene

Description

Narration

1

12 vertical strips of outdoor landscapes showing all different seasons come in one after the other. A wide angle image of a waterfall next to a tall mountain and some distant plateaus. We zoom into the waterfall, which is labeled “nearby bodies of water,” then we zoom into the mountain, which is labeled “elevation,” and finally we zoom into the plateaus which is labeled “location of nearby land formations.” An illustration of a coast, showing land and water. The sun is in the upper right corner. We see arrows that represent heat shining on the Earth: the ones hitting the water bounce off, the ones hitting the land are absorbed. The land turns redder. A large blue arrow, representing wind, flies in from the water, and the land turns blue (representing cooling).

Weather and climate are greatly affected by temperature and precipitation. Other factors influence the weather such as large, nearby bodies of water, elevation and large, significant landforms. Land and water hold heat and temperatures at different rates. Land temperatures can fluctuate many degrees in just a few hours. Large bodies of water such as oceans or large lakes can affect climates in nearby areas. As winds blow over these large bodies of water, the wind takes on the water’s temperature, they then blow onshore and affect the land temp as well.

2

A lake shore at dusk. The Earth from space showing the mid-latitude regions highlighted in yellow. A physical map of Earth, showing two images that grow out of the west coasts of North America and South America. The images show the shores of each area.

Lands along the coasts of oceans and lakes have very defined climate types. The areas in the mid-latitudes on the continental west coasts have mild temperatures and humid climates. Westerly winds supply warm, moist ocean air. Along the Pacific coasts of North America and southern Chile a marine climate can be found.

3

The Earth from space as we zoom into the Northern Hemisphere. This area is labeled, “continental climates.” We see a cold snowy mountainside, then a warm tropical sunset. A mist rolling over a forest. Icicles melting.

Further from the influence of the oceans, the central parts of the continents in the Northern Hemisphere have a continental climate. These areas experience cold, snowy winters and warm or hot summers. Precipitation such as snow and rain can vary and temperatures can fluctuate from extremely hot to extremely cold. These areas are found between mild and polar climates.

4

We zoom from the bottom of a glacial valley to the top of a snowy peak. Mt. Kilimanjaro is in the background, and there’s a scale across the screen. The bottom of the scale is labeled “Altitude: 3000 FT” and the top is labeled “Temperature: 60 degrees F” The scale ascends the mountain and the numbers increase until it reaches the top. Now it reads, “Temperature 4 degrees F, Altitude 16000 Ft.” We see mountain climbers in the snow going up a peak.

Climate can also be affected by elevation in highland areas. As one moves up in elevation the temperature decreases around 3.5 degrees F for every 1,000 feet climbed. Hikers must be careful to plan for this fluctuation when preparing for a climb.

5

A green leaf dissolves into slo motion video of rain falling. A tropical cliff near a beach. High rocky mountains, an aerial shot of a desert, a mountain lake. A hot of New York from above. A graph appears, showing how temperatures increase over large cities.

Changes in climate are naturally occurring. Of course no climate is ever the same. Landforms such as coastal mountains can have an affect on climate. Mountains, large desert areas, lakes and forests on the interior can influence climate as well. Even tall buildings concentrated in a city can influence the climate of an area. Because of this phenomena the average temperature of a city is usually greater than more open areas. These small variations within a region are called micro-climates.